Trouser clip or clasp



Feb. s, 1938. J. c. BI HOP 2,107,516

TROUSER CLIP OR CLASP Filed Aug. 27, 1957 Iuvemrc'isz Jay/v 545M01 BY wag-446V Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UETED STATES PATENT OFFlfiE TROUSER CLIP R CLASP John 0. Bishop, Savannah, N. Y. Application August 2'7, 1937, Serial No. 161,202

' ser clips or clasps.

Workers in some classes of work frequently are forced to roll up their trouser cufis or legs above their shoe tops and while the trousers will maintain this condition while new and relatively stiff they will as they wear and the material becomes softer have a very annoying tendency to unroll particularly if the work is strenuous. Also sportsmen have the same need in some cases as where the trousers are rolled for wading or for wearing wading boots.

It is the main object of my invention to provide a clip or clasp which may be readily slipped over the rolled edges or ends of the trouser legs and which will then positively prevent their unrolling until the clip is removed by hand.

Another object is to provide a clip for this purpose in simple, inexpensive and practical form and which is formed up from a single strip of spring, sheet metal bent medially to a U-shaped form including converging legs or arms adapted to engage the trouser leg above its rolled lower end and a relatively wide throat or bight to receive the rolled edge and prevent the same from unrolling. In this connection it is evident that the rolled edges of the trousers will be relatively thick due to the number of folds therein and it is therefore necessary that the clip have a Wide throat to receive the folds and yet permit the ends of the clip to grip the garment tightly above the folds as will be understood.

A further object is to provide a clip of this kind in which the arms are formed with one straight from end to end and adapted to fit within the trouser leg and the other arm bulged outward near the bight to accommodate the roll of the trousers and then turned back inward to contact the first arm and obtain a grip on the trousers above the roll, the latter or outer arm having its extremity turned back on itself to provide a finger loop for convenience in handling the clip and with its extremity pointed and passed inward through a hole in the arm to engage or prick the trouser above the roll and positively hold the clip in place.

With these and other objects in View the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing as showing a preferred embodiment of my invention for purposes of exemplification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my clip in use.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my clip alone. Figure 3 is a fragmental section through the rolled lower edge of a trouser leg showing my clip applied thereto.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the blank or strip from which my clip is formed.

In carrying out my invention I provide a clip or clasp shown generally at 5 and form the same up from a single length of strip spring material such as brass or steel. This strip shown at 6 in Figure 4 is bent medially back on itself to provide fingers, arms or legs I and 8 joined by a bight 9 and these arms are tensioned to normally spring together by their inherent resiliency. One arm as l, and hereinafter termed the inner arm, extends straight from the bight outward to its free extremity while the other arm 8, hereinafter termed the outer arm, is curved or bulged first outwardly from the bight 9 as at Ill forming the relatively wide throat or cleft II and then is bent back inwardly as at i2 and extended substantially parallel to and in contact with the arm 1 for some distance.

The end of this outer arm 8 is then turned back on itself in the form of a loop or eye l3 outwardly disposed and the extremity I4 is pointed and passes back through an aperture [5 in the arm into the interior or mouth I6 of the clip, the loop l3 being tensioned to cause the point M to normally project through the inner side of the arm 8 a short distance. A flaring opening I! is thus provided into the end of the clip as shown and the extremity of the inner leg 1 is turned or fiared away from the leg 8 a short distance as shown at l8 for this purpose.

In Figures 1 and 3 the lower extremity of a trousers leg is shown at A and it has been rolled back on itself, or rolled up, so as to substantially clear the shoe -B, the roll C thus formed of course consisting of a number of folds D and being made relatively thick thereby. To use my clip the same is simply slipped up over the roll C using the loop l3 as a finger hold to pull the clip apart and the arms 7 and 8 will spread apart to clear and the throat or cleft II will receive this roll. The ends of the arms then springing back together will grip the leg A above the roll and the point [4 of the loop I3 will engage the trousers and absolutely prevent the clip from being disengaged. The roll C will then be held in place as desired. The clip is suitable for use on either light summer trousers or very heavy winter trousers which vary greatly in thickness of material.

When confined within the throat I! of the clip the folds D of the roll C cannot possibly unroll and the trousers are held positively in the desired condition until the clip is removed by hand. This is readily done by slipping a finger through the loop l3 and pulling the point M from the trousers after which the clip may he slipped ofi. However without first pulling the point l4 free, the clip cannot possibly slip downward since the point I4 inclines downwardly or in the direction of the pull as shown. When not in use the clip may be carried in the pocket, the point 14 being protected by the inner leg I.

The straight inner arm l of the clip is placed inside the trousers where it will lie fiat against the inner surface thereof so as not to interfere with or injuriously contact the wearers leg while the curved outer arm 8 is placed outside so that its outward curve or bulge [0 will accommodate the bulge of the roll C which is of course formed outside the trouser leg as clearly shown in Figure 3. This arrangement allows the arms I and B to spring together at their upper ends and engage the trouser leg above the roll on both its inner and outer sides.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of my invention it is understood that I may vary from the same in minor structural details so as best to provide a practical device for the purposes intended, not departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a trouser clip for holding a trouser leg when same is rolled at its lower end, a spring clip comprising a pair of normally converging arms joined by a bight and adapted to be slipped up over the rolled end of the trousers, the inner arm being straight from end to end, and the outer arm being curved outwardly adjacent the bight to accommodate the rolled trousers and then turned back inwardly to grip the trousers above the roll, the end of the outer arm being turned back on itself to form an outwardly disposed finger loop and the arm having an aperture below the said loop, and the extremity of the loop being pointed and projected through the aperture to engage the trousers.

JOHN C. BISHOP. 

